And one of the most powerful Mormons -- Nev. Sen. Harry Reid
-- says he'll again try to persuade Congress to set up a special federal task force to crack down on polygamists. Reid says many polygamists "are doing things that are immoral, and in many instances illegal. There's a lot of welfare fraud that goes on, domestic abuse that goes on. ... I think we have an obligation to help these women and children who are being victimized."

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About Ray

Ray has been a Western journalist since 1979. He's now High Country News senior editor, based in Bozeman, Montana. He's earned national recognition including a George Polk Award for political reporting, a Sidney Hillman Foundation Journalism Award for investigating oil-field accidents, and an Investigative Reporters & Editors scroll for going undercover as a prison inmate. He's had three novels published.